


oceans

by maddy_does (favefangirl)



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood, Mostly Canon Compliant, mild references to sexual content, set vaguely around nov/dec 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28267920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/favefangirl/pseuds/maddy_does
Summary: It seemed like a good idea at the time. ... Except now Ben is stood sheepishly in the doorway to the living room in Callum's flat, and his boyfriend is looking at him somewhere between distress and disappointment, and the fact that Stuart hasn't stopped giggling since they walked in probably isn't helping either of their cases."You two had a fight?" Callum asks, sounding exhausted.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36
Collections: Ballum Secret Santa 2020





	oceans

**Author's Note:**

> part 2/2 of my secret santa gifts for [@totallyradioactive15](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/totallyradioactive15)
> 
> wishing both them, and everybody else who may celebrate it, a very merry christmas xxx

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Granted, 'the time' was four cans and half a bottle of vodka in to what was fast becoming a very regrettable night, but that in no way diminished the fact that when the decision was made, both parties were under the distinct impression that their choice was a perfectly reasonable one. More than reasonable. It was a fantastic judgement.

Except now Ben is stood sheepishly in the doorway to the living room in Callum's flat, and his boyfriend is looking at him somewhere between distress and disappointment, and the fact that Stuart hasn't stopped giggling since they walked in probably isn't helping either of their cases.

"You two had a fight?" Callum asks, sounding exhausted. 

"Bruv," Stuart says, gesticulating, "Don't even worry about it!" He stumbles forward and pulls Callum into a side-hug by his shoulders. "It's all sorted out now." He presses a wet kiss to Callum's cheek which Callum flinches away from, pulling a face. "Anyway, I'm going to bed," Stuart announces, ruffling Callum's hair as he passes and all but collapsing through the bedroom door.

There's a slight commotion wherein Stuart makes some sad proclamation of his love for Rainie, and she calls him an idiot, before they quieten down and silence descends on the flat again. This means Ben is left alone to Callum's wrath, and stood with his arms folded in his worn plaid pyjama bottoms and an old beer branded t-shirt, Callum looks vaguely like an upset father about to lecture their unruly child. The thought sets Ben off giggling, having to press his lips together tightly in order to try and stifle them.

"You had a fight?" Callum repeats.

Ben grimaces. "We were just sorting out our differences," he explains, trying to make the proposition sound as reasonable to Callum as it had sounded to him when Stuart suggested it. "One... _minor_ punch up, and now we can be best mates. I didn't even hurt him!"

Callum shakes his head. "Neither of you are normal," Callum huffs. He drops his arms and takes a step towards Ben before reaching out with a gentle hand to tilt his chin. "He cut your lip."

"I know, I tasted it."

Callum rolls his eyes and looks to the ceiling in a _give me strength_ gesture before sighing. "Right," he says decisively. "Take a seat, I'll get some antiseptic." Ben opens his mouth to protest, wanting to point out that this is by far not the first time he's been on the receiving end of some fisticuffs, but Callum just holds up a hand, effectively silencing him. "I'm tired and annoyed. Now's not the time."

Ben snaps his mouth closed and offers a sheepish smile before doing as he's told and going to sit on the table. He watches Callum disappear into the bathroom, knowing that's where they keep the first aid kit - a necessity given both his and Stuart's penchants for ending up in brawls, and Callum's clumsy nature. He sits patiently, revelling in the light-headed feeling of drunkenness. With everything going on right now with his dad, and with work, this floaty, not-quite-real feeling is quite the novelty.

Callum emerges from the bathroom with the kit already open, rustling through it for an antiseptic wipe. He finds what he's looking for and places the bag on the table before stepping into the 'v' of Ben's legs as he opens the wipe. He tilts Ben's chin again with gentle fingers, then carefully presses the wipe to Ben's lip. He apologises, softly, when Ben hisses at the contact before going back in to do it again.

It's not massively comfortable as Callum cleans his wound, stinging a little with every swipe against his lip, but from this angle and in this lighting, he can see all the different shades of blue in Callum's eyes. They're light around the pupil, a kind of aqua, getting darker towards the edge of his iris. They're like an ocean he could get lost in, endlessly drowning. His gaze flicks down from his eyes to his lips with are hanging open slightly as he concentrates, and pulled down at the corners. Ben wants to lean forward and kiss the frown from his face, but worries that that might have the adverse affect he's looking for here.

"You're a nightmare," Callum admonishes quietly. Ben's mouth twitches into a small smile at how he still sounds fond, even beneath the annoyance. "What on earth possessed you to fight my brother?"

"You," Ben answers as Callum pulls the wipe away from his lip, clearly satisfied with his efforts. "Trying to get along for your sake."

Callum pauses as he picks up the packaging from the table, turning to stare at Ben with those soft, puppy-dog eyes. Ben shrugs like it's nothing, even though it's definitely not. He thinks of the look his mum had given him the day of Mel's dinner when he'd asked _who said anything about love_ and decides, actually, maybe he's consumed far too much alcohol and should probably start sobering up now.

Callum then shakes his head. "Still a nightmare," he mumbles, tossing the wipe and its packet into the open first aid kit. Ben chuckles and leans in to kiss him, deciding he's thawed Callum's mood enough to get away with it. Callum leans back away from him. "No, brush your teeth first, you've had blood in your mouth."

Ben pouts. "You've kissed me after I've had worse in my mouth." Callum looks at him deadpan, tilted his head. Ben raises his hands in mock surrender, then goes to the bathroom to do as he's told.

In the mirror he sees the cut actually looks worse than it felt, which might explain why Callum got himself all in a tizz about it. Ben smiles as he puts toothpaste on his brush at how much of a mother hen Callum is. He's been the same when Lexi had scraped her knee the other week. Ben had forgotten what it felt like to be cared about like this. As he brushes his teeth, Kathy's look pops back into his head, more specifically the way he'd felt when Ian had said 'love'. The sharp rise and fall in his stomach, like his organs were on a rollercoaster. He spits the toothpaste out and decides that he's far too drunk to be worrying about this now.

When he emerges from the bathroom, Callum is waiting for him with a glass of water and a paracetamol. Ben takes both, even though he thinks this is all a bit dramatic for a few drinks with his boyfriend's brother, then opens his mouth as if to demonstrate that he's been a good boy and swallowed them both. Callum still has that vague, chastising dad vibe going on, so Ben feels the need to play up the rebel child.

"Thank you for trying to get on with my brother," Callum says, taking the empty glass from him and putting it the sink to wash in the morning. He walks back over to Ben and takes a hold of his face with gentle hands. "But please don't get into anymore fights." Ben crosses a finger over his heart, half sarcastically. Callum rolls his eyes, and Ben thinks he might've pushed his luck there, clearly forgetting in his drunken state of much of a soft-touch Callum is when it comes to him, because despite the attitude, he still gets his kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't remember if in canon stuart could drink or not, but just go with it okay? 
> 
> also, i hate that they never really addressed stuart trying to sabotage the relationship. like not even a convo. how good (read: hilarious) would an "if you hurt my brother" scene have been between these two comedy kings???
> 
> anyway, if you wanna leave a comment or a kudos they're much appreciated! especially let me know if there's something you think i forgot to tag! i'm really not sure about the rating?
> 
> i'm taking prompts! if you're interested please drop the prompt in the comments below. if you do send a prompt be prepared for me to take fifty years to fill it because school is so hard (or, i guess, uni now, lol), but i promise i'll try! come say hi on tumblr: [@maddy-does](https://maddy-does.tumblr.com/)
> 
> thanks for reading, have a wonderful existence.


End file.
